Biochemical Composition and Anti-anemic Potential of Solanum torvum (Solanaceae) Berries in Albino Wistar Rats

Solanum torvum (Solanaceae) is a food plant commonly used in some regions of Côte d’Ivoire to treat anaemia. This study was therefore conducted to highlight some biochemical constituents and the anti-anaemic potential of cooked berries of this plant in Wistar rats. To this end, the berries were cooked for 30 minutes and then the constituents were evaluated using standard biochemical methods. For the study of the anti-anaemic potential, four (4) groups of eight (8) rats, aged 12 weeks and weighing on average 105 g were used. The rats were made anaemic by phenylhydrazine and then received 1ml/100g/d of distilled water (negative control), the aqueous extract of the berries at concentrations of 3.2 and 6.4 mg/ml. The positive control batch of rats received Vitafer (reference drug for the treatment of anaemia). The anaemia was assessed by means of a haemogram performed on blood samples taken on days 0, 3, 7 and 15. The analysis showed that the berries had a moisture content of 12.085%. The dry matter content was 87.915% with an ash content of 16.310%. Vitamin C was estimated at 14.810 mg/100g. The mineral values were 4.175 mg/100g for iron, 1.915 mg/100g for zinc, 1.245 mg/100g for magnesium and 134.780 mg/100g for potassium. For the evaluation of the anti-anemic properties, the results showed that the administration of the aqueous extract of S. torvum berries at the concentrations of 3.2 and 6.4 mg/ml would promote recovery rates of red blood cell count, haemoglobin and haematocrit similar to those of the reference anti-anaemic product "Vitafer".